Wallflowers
by Isis Lied
Summary: AU Yuuki Kuran runs from her rich, overbearing, and influential home to pursue a life on her own. The only problem? She has to masquerade as a male at Cross Academy, an all boys boarding school. To add to her infinite list of problems, a certain silver-haired roommate may just jeopardize her secret— and his own. Zero/Yuuki
1. Chapter 1- Fountain Mishaps

Wallflowers

Summary: AU Yuuki Kuran runs from her rich, overbearing, and influential home to pursue a life on her own. The only problem? She has to masquerade as a male at Cross Academy, an all boys boarding school. To add to her infinite list of problems, a certain silver-haired roommate may just jeopardize her secret— and his own. Zero/Yuuki

Genre: Romance, Comedy, Supernatural, Hurt/Comfort

A/N: First, thanks for taking the time to give my story a chance; I appreciate it a lot! Second, I should probably mention that I'm more of a Yuume shipper but that doesn't mean I dislike Zeki (if I didn't like it I wouldn't be writing this, lol)! So, please any feedback on characterization, story, etc. would be greatly appreciated. And, finally, unless otherwise stated, most characters will be human in this AU. Of course vampires will still be present, but even characters like Kaname will be human. That's all you really need to know, so, without further ado, here is Chapter 1 of 'Wallflowers!'

Disclaimer: I don't own VK, Matsuri Hino does.

* * *

Chapter 1- Fountain Mishaps

The brunette sat in front of the bathroom mirror, fingers wrapped around a pair of scissors.

"Are you sure about this, Yuuki?" a soft-spoken girl questioned, honey orbs trained to her friend's long chocolate locks.

"I have to, Yori-chan! You know my parents, unless I do something now I'll never be able to pursue my dreams!"

Yori sighed. "Just know I will always be here for you as long as you remember to write me a letter every now and then, okay?"

"Of course! I wouldn't even be able to do this if it wasn't for you, Yori!"

The hazel-eyed girl placed a comforting hand on Yuuki's shoulder. "I'm really only helping you with an alibi, saying that you are at the all girl's boarding academy with me. It's you who has the strength to do this. Although, I do feel bad about lying to your brother..."

The brunette lowered her gaze, clenching her fingers against her bare thighs. "I also feel bad about betraying Onii-san, but you know how he is. He'd have me locked in this mansion the rest of my life, if he could."

The girl's thoughts shifted to her elder brother. He had always been so protective of her, as if she would break at any moment. The sheltered lifestyle she lived wasn't bad, per se, but there was an entire world just beyond her fingertips.

"Besides, Yori-chan, I need to be able to do things on my own, without having to use my family name. My parents have an influence in many schools in this area; Cross Academy is the only boarding school that the Kuran name is not connected to. It's my only choice."

_It's just a shame it's an all boys boarding school..._

Steeled in her beliefs, the brunette guided the scissors to a lock of her hair, cinnamon orbs staring back at her reflection. The scissors snapped shut as a lock of brown hair fell silently to the tiled floor.

* * *

The girl rushed through the empty campus, clutching at her suitcase as she made the winding track from the school gate's to the principal's office.

Checking her watch again, she silently cursed. It was a miracle she was even given an acceptance letter; it was weeks of tutoring with Yori that allowed her to pass the exam and be selected for enrollment. She didn't need to jeopardize her chance at freedom yet again by being late to her meeting with the Chairman!

The sun continued to sink below the horizon while she ran through the trees, ducking under low-hanging branches and over bushes until she came to an open clearing. A large fountain lay in the center and she turned away from the path to watch the water pour down in gentle streams. Just as the brunette returned her gaze to the path she collided with some sort of hard surface, recoiling backwards towards the fountain. Before she fell a large hand grasped her wrist. For a moment Yuuki looked into the wide, amethyst eyes of her supposed savior— until they both went tumbling into the fountain. Spluttering out water, the girl quickly slicked back her bangs to peer into the angry eyes of the silver-haired man. His expression seemed much akin to a cat dunked into cold water.

"Are you an idiot? What were you doing, running like that without watching where you were going?"

The brunette blushed, rubbing the back of her head awkwardly at his intense glare, "I-I was just trying to find my way to the Headmaster's office. I guess I got distracted by the fountain— I'm really sorry!"

She bowed, keeping her gaze down at the water. She heard the man step out of the fountain and assumed he was just going to leave her freezing in the pool of water. Instead, she felt a hand grasp the back of her shirt, literally pulling her from the fountain by the collar and depositing her to the ground.

The stranger sighed. "Whatever, I'll let it pass since you're a new student..." He paused, looking the guy over.

The coat he was wearing was obviously too large, swallowing the petite brunette in heavy fabric. His eyes were a doe-brown and large, with long, feminine eyelashes. His hair was cropped relatively short, with a messy front fringe. The boy's skin seemed almost porcelain, glowing dimly in the light of the rising moon.

He frowned. In all honesty, the kid looked like a girl; he probably wouldn't have believed him if it wasn't for the fact that Cross Academy _was_ an all male's school.

The silver-haired man returned to the pathway. He walked forward before calling out, "If you want to know where the Headmaster's office is then follow me."

Yuuki grinned widely. Perhaps this guy wasn't half as mean as he looked! She ran to his side, shivering slightly in the cold air.

"Thanks, uh..."

"Zero Kiriyuu."

"Nice to meet you, Zero-senpai. I'm Yuuki Ku— I mean, Yuuki Cross."

He didn't respond, merely pushing his hands into his pockets as they continued to walk.

_He's definitely quiet... I wonder why he looks so upset? I mean, I did kind of cause him to fall into the fountain but—_

"What?" He finally asked, noticing that the brunette had been staring at his face for the past five minutes.

"N-nothing, I was just uh, looking at your tattoo?" She offered, mentally berating herself for her own stupidity.

"You're strange..." He finally responded, setting his gaze back towards the path. A large brick building could be seen peaking just above the tree line.

* * *

The pair walked into the office soaking wet, beads of water dripping off of their clothing and onto the wooden floor in steady taps. The flaxen-haired man paused from his paperwork to stare agape at the two teens. He immediately stood from his desk to rush about the room in the hopes of finding towels to no avail.

"My goodness, what happened? I was worried that my new student wasn't going to show up and here you are, bringing a whole lake with you!"

He turned to the silverette, equally flabbergasted. "Zero-kun, I sent you on an errand and you come back soaking wet! Tell me you at least remembered to get the eggs—"

"Go get the damn groceries yourself. I brought 'him' here, so I'm going to go back to my room to change." He muttered, closing the office door with a loud slam.

The Chairman sighed, rubbing his temples. "He's an only child so he acts spoiled sometimes. Anyway, I'm glad you made it safely here, albeit soaked in water."

The brunette bowed, "No, I'm sorry for being so tardy. I won't let it happen again!"

He chuckled. "So polite! You don't need to worry, Yuuki-kun! I want all my students to have a wonderful time at my academy! Now, about your room… I'm afraid I have some bad news."

"W-what is it?" _Oh God, there aren't enough rooms and I'm going to be kicked out on my first day—_

"You requested a single room, but I'm afraid they are already all filled up. A student who was not supposed to show up until tomorrow came earlier today and took the last empty room. I'm afraid you'll have to room with someone."

Yuuki did her best to hide her shock, forcing out a shaky grin as her whole world crashed around her. _How am I ever going to hide my gender now?_

He saw through her façade and spoke, concern written on his face. "Well, I can see you are uncomfortable with this change. So, how about I let you room with the boy you were just with? You seemed to hit it off nicely, considering you weren't cringing in fear or running away from him."

"Ah, I did notice that he seemed kind of… sad. Is something wrong? S-sorry, I've overstepped my boundaries again—"

He waved his hand dismissively. "It's alright. You're going to be his new roommate so I guess I should tell you this now. Zero's whole family was… murdered in front of his eyes. He was just a child at the time, but it seems the wounds have not closed, even after all this time."

She stood speechless, feeling the pin-prick of tears. "T-that's horrible… I'm so sorry." She stared down at the wooden floor, unable to even comprehend the sadness he must have felt. _And here I am, running away from my own happy family… I bet Zero would do anything to have his back._

The Chairman nodded sadly. "Yes. Because of this Zero's been unable to make many friends. This is the first time where he hasn't shown true malice towards well, anyone! Oh, but you can't tell him I told you this! He's quite the private man, after all."

"O-of course! I won't say anything about it!"

The hazel-eyed man gave a genuine smile, opening his office drawer to pull out a pair of silver keys. "Here are the keys to the room. There's an extra tied on to the key ring, just in case. Your room number is 19A. Ah, wait one second, I almost forgot!"

He rummaged through his drawers yet again, pulling out a folded piece of paper and a pair of wrapped clothing. He flattened out the paper and pointed to a lone building near the edge of the Academy grounds.

"This is where you will be staying. Normally, first years would be placed in the Sun Dorms, but Zero's room is in the Moon Dorms. It's smaller and has fewer students than the Sun Dorms as well as being farther away from the main buildings. But, it is relatively well furbished and is near the Academy's private lake. I hope you don't mind."

She shook her head frantically. "Not at all! That sounds fine; I'm not too fond of large groups anyway."

"That's good to hear! Here's your uniform as well. I'm sorry I can't show you to your dorm, but I'm sure you'll manage to find it! There's a lantern down near the foyer area that you can pick up; I don't want you falling into any more lakes or streams or whatever caused you to arrive in my office soaking wet!"

She looked away in embarrassment. "I, uh, kind of fell into the fountain… after running into Zero. He tried to stop me from falling in, so that's why we both arrived drenched."

The Chairman chortled, clutching at his sides. "Well, at least you two got first impressions out of the way! Now, remember, if you ever need anything just stop by my office. Every student of my Academy is like my own child. Don't forget that, Yuuki-kun!"

* * *

The brunette arrived at the entrance of the Dormitory, pushing the wrought-iron gate open with little effort. It swung open to reveal a large gothic-styled building lined with elegant pillars and arched windows. _It's not too different from home, _she thought, taking a hesitant step inside the foyer.

Her shoes clacked noisily against the marble flooring, resounding dimly in the spacious entrance. Almost immediately she heard the rush of footsteps and a blonde, emerald-eyed teen appeared at the spiral staircase, grinning widely.

"Welcome! I'm Takuma Ichijou, president of the Moon Dorms. You must be Yuuki Cross, right?" He held out a hand.

She shook his hand, nodding dimly, surprised by the man's charismatic personality. _It's past midnight, how can he be so cheerful?_

"Don't worry, the Chairman has already told me about your situation. He called to ask me to make sure you made it to Zero's room alright. Now, follow me!"

He bounded up the steps, dragging the confused girl behind him.

"Ah, Ichijou-san, are you sure we should be so loud? Isn't everyone else asleep?"

"No need for formalities, Yuuki-kun! You can just call me Takuma! And everyone sleeps so soundly here that it's like trying to wake the dead! Don't worry, I doubt anyone will wake up from _just_ our conversation—"

As if on cue, a blonde-haired boy poked his head through the nearest room. "Keep it down, Ichijou. It's past midnight! I don't care if you're a night owl, but let us rest for once!" He said irritably, rubbing his cerulean eyes.

"Sorry, Aidou-kun! I was just showing a late arrival to his room."

This immediately caught the blonde's attention. "Really? I thought all the rooms were already filled."

"They are! That's why he's going to be rooming with Kiriyuu-kun."

A flash of remorse passed by Aidou's face. "Are you serious? Sorry, kid, but Kiriyuu is not the easiest to get along with. Good luck, though. You'll need it." With that the blonde shut the door, leaving the two teens alone in the hallway.

"Ah, Aidou's just exaggerating. He's not _that _bad…"

Yuuki flashed a smile. "It's alright. I've already met him so I know what he meant when he said 'hard to get along with.' But, I think I'll manage, somehow."

They eventually arrived in front of the door marked 19A. Hesitantly, the cinnamon-eyed girl knocked on the door. A few seconds later she heard a string of curses as the door swung open to reveal a shirtless silver-haired teen. He had a towel draped around his shoulders and a loose fitting pair of pants around his waist. She immediately looked away, blushing at his bare chest.

"What—oh, it's you." He stated dully, clearly annoyed by her mere presence.

"Ah, Kiriyuu-kun, I was told by the Headmaster to let you know that Yuuki will be your new roommate!"

The teen immediately tried to shut the door only to have the blonde plant his foot in the crack of the doorway. He pushed against the door as he spoke, "P-please don't be so unreasonable! I'm telling the truth! He even has the keys to prove it!"

Yuuki pulled the keys from her pocket, showing how they fit into the key hole. Zero sighed, turning away from the door but leaving it open.

"Whatever… I'll get that bastard later." He sat on the edge of his bed, towel-drying his hair as the Moon Dorm president ushered the petite brunette inside.

"Good luck, Yuuki-kun! I'll be rooting for you!" He gave a thumbs up before quickly shutting the door and sprinting down the hall.

The girl plopped down on her own bed, facing away from the silent teen.

"Uh, I just wanted to say that I apologize for what happened earlier today. And that I hope we can become good friends—"

"I don't need any friends. Just mind your own business and we'll be fine." He muttered, walking back into the adjoining bathroom.

She sighed. Well, her first day at Cross Academy and her secret hadn't been exposed yet. So, in reality, it could have gone a lot worse, she mused, tugging off her large overcoat. And, perhaps there was more to her roommate than the foul-mouthed, rude, stoic behavior that he kept portraying.

In the bathroom the lilac-eyed man turned on the tap, gasping for breath. He tried to swallow two tablets only to cough them back out. The water turned a scarlet as the tablets dissolved in the sink. Running a cold hand through his hair he saw a flash of crimson in his eyes from the bathroom mirror.

"Damnit…" He cursed, splashing water onto his face. When he looked up again his eyes had returned to their natural amethyst hue.

_What is that idiot thinking, giving me a roommate? _

Unaware of the inner turmoil of her new roommate, Yuuki curled into the blankets, not even bothering to change into her pajamas before she fell asleep.

* * *

A/N: Yes, what was the Chairman thinking, lol XD

I hope you guys enjoyed this mini-prologue thingy! I'll definitely continue the story if you guys like it! As usual, reviews would be loved! I hope no one's OOC; that's my biggest fear :P

-Isis


	2. Chapter 2- Of Late Mornings

Chapter 2- Of Late Mornings, Tutors, and Patrols

A/N: Sorry for taking so long for the next chap; life's been quite busy and I still have my summer reading to finish, but I decided to just take a break and write 'cause that's a hundred times more fun in my opinion! Oh, and thanks for all the reviews for chapter 1! I truly appreciate that you guys took time to leave such thoughtful reviews; it makes me genuinely happy :3 Now, on to chapter 2!

Disclaimer: I don't own VK.

* * *

Zero buried his head further into the soft covers of his bed, ignoring the incessant beeping of his alarm clock in favor of a few more minutes of sleep. It chimed annoyingly on his bedside table, the red clock shaking as the bell rang with fervor. Eventually, and with more effort than he wished to use at 6:45 in the morning, he slammed his fist against the irritating object. It hiccupped, bell stopping for a brief moment until it began to blare even louder.

He resorted to shaking the clock, growling as it refused to shut off, like it was mocking the sleep-deprived teen. In retaliation, he threw it against the wall, satisfied in the dull slam and slight imprint it left as it clattered to the floor, silent.

Turning to his right he saw that his new roommate was, in fact, still very much asleep despite the commotion. He was curled up in a ball, blankets cocooning around his lithe form.

The silver-haired man could only stare in slight envy; it seemed like the youth could sleep through an earthquake. Begrudgingly, Zero rose from his bed, springs creaking from the lack of weight.

After swiping his uniform from the back of the door, he trudged towards the bathroom, yawning. Taking a quick shower the silverette returned to see that the boy was still snoring, light sounds coming from his lips as he hugged his pillow tighter. His hair was splayed against the sheets, face in serene peace, unaware to the danger that stood mere feet from him.

Zero bit his lip. The kid shouldn't feel safe around him... he needed to have a few words with the Chairman before he grew too attached. Already, the brunette's presence seemed almost commonplace. He had to stop this. His life was at its end; he had no need to make more personal ties and he definitely did not want to drag the boy down with him. _Into a world filled with bloodshed._

Amethyst eyes scanned the room, coming to the only picture on the wall. A picture frame hung near the closet door, held up by a rusted nail. It was of a smiling family, of a father and a mother and... of two twin boys.

His eyes automatically turned towards the sleeping brunette. Somehow, Yuuki reminded him of his little brother, or at least how he had been before the betrayal. Clenching his jaw, Zero fought the wave of memories that boiled just below his conscience. Of the blood and screams that had turned the happy, optimistic child into a cursed monster.

He shook his head, running a pale hand through his silver locks. The past was better left buried.

Instead, the teen came to the side of his bed, picking up a pillow. He threw it at the sleeping teen's face with ease. Despite the gentleness in which he threw the pillow, a few feathers fell out, nearly drifting into the girl's mouth. Yuuki groaned, bolting forward as she frantically grabbed for the object. She pulled the feather-pillow from her face, turning to stare at the stoic silverette.

"Did something happen, Zero?" She questioned, mind in a foggy haze from her rude awakening. Her fingers curled into the pillow, brain processing the chain of events that had nearly caused her to swallow a mouthful of feathers.

"Class starts in fifteen minutes." He replied, pulling on his tie.

Flabbergasted, the girl rushed into the bathroom only to come out a few moments later shouting for her uniform. The amethyst-eyed man sighed, throwing her clothes at her before sitting on his bed to put on his shoes. He then proceeded to pull on an armband with the Cross Academy insignia.

Five minutes later Yuuki emerged, hair messy and in disarray, navy-blue coat unbuttoned and slipping off her shoulders. Her white long-sleeve shirt was crinkled and covered in wrinkles, tie haphazardly hanging around her neck.

"You look ridiculous, midget." Zero finally spoke, turning away from the brunette to open the door.

"S-shut up! Why didn't you wake me up earlier? I can't be late on the first day of school!"

"At least I bothered to wake you. Be grateful I didn't leave you to sleep through your classes."

She growled in exasperation, throwing her pillow at the back of his head. It landed harmlessly onto the floor, bouncing off the door as he walked out, closing it behind him. She fumed silently for a few moments before a horrifying realization crossed her mind.

"Wait, Zero! I don't even know where my classes are!"

Pulling open the door she barreled after him, seeing a flash of silver disappear around the corridor. He continued to walk, ignoring her cries for him to stop. She grabbed at his shoulder after finally reaching him, slightly out of breath. He bristled slightly at the contact.

"Couldn't you have waited a second, geeze?" _Forget about everything I said before, this guy's a total jerk!  
_  
"...Couldn't you have been a little faster?" Zero retorted, brushing her away as he waked down the empty hallway with his hands stuffed in his pocket.

* * *

She checked her watch in abject horror. The pair had six minutes to reach their class, but the walk from the Moon Dorms to the main teaching hall would probably take at least ten. Even at a sprint she feared they would be unable to make it to class on time.

Zero had suddenly turned to the left, following a heavily trodden path littered with fallen leaves. She ran after him, resigning to her fate. It was useless; there was no way either would make it to class on time—

He pulled a rickety looking bike from a bush, picking up the single helmet. The red paint was chipping and worn, metal rusted from days left out in the rain.

The lilac-eyed man wordlessly got on, looking at the brunette expectantly. "I do technically start as a prefect today. As such, one of my duties is to ensure students get to class on time. Get on." He threw her the silver helmet without warning.

She barely caught it due to her surprise. _A prefect? Well, I guess a school of this size would definitely need one.  
_  
"Come on. Or do you want to cause both of us to be late?" He called out, breaking the girl from her reverie.

She shook her head, strapping on the helmet before getting onto the bike. Yuuki hesitantly wrapped her hands around the boy's waist, blushing slightly at the contact. He began to peddle down the cobblestone pathway, eyes locked to the road. The girl sighed in relief as the building came into sight, leaving the pair with two minutes to bolt through the halls and find their classroom.

Zero dropped the bike near the bike rack before looking at the brunette expectantly. She quickly pulled off the helmet, handing it to the teen. He tossed it towards the bike, hitting the handle with a light chime as the chrome helmet fell dully to the ground.

"Uh, thanks, Zero." She said sheepishly as the silverette walked ahead. He grunted in affirmation, not bothering to turn around.

* * *

Class started off easily enough. After a short introduction (in which Yuuki almost wrote the kanji for Kuran instead of Cross on the chalkboard) she took the only empty seat… which was next to her grumpy, amethyst-eyed roommate. He pretended to not notice her presence, merely spinning his pencil absentmindedly when the brunette gave a wide grin. _Well… at least he didn't yell at me for sitting next to him. _

Yuuki stared out the window to her right, sighing. She knew she should probably be taking notes, but for some reason she couldn't bring herself to care enough to do so. _I hope Biology will be more interesting than Geometry…_

A harsh voice echoed through the class, "Cross, come to the front to solve this equation, since you seem to think the window will give you answers to all of my math problems. Same for you, Kiriyuu, since your pencil is also apparently more entertaining than my lecture."

Both teens reluctantly walked to the front of the class. Laughter erupted from the class as they both picked up a piece of chalk. Zero seemed relatively unfazed, solving his equation with ease.

"May I go back to my seat now, sensei?"

The teacher pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing. He was clearly unhappy that the one student who _never _paid attention was actually his star pupil. "Fine… but, I need to speak with you and Cross after class."

Yuuki turned towards the teacher, rubbing the back of her head awkwardly. "Ah, sensei, I have no idea how to do this problem, sorry!"

He frowned, adjusting his glasses. "Then I suggest you take notes for once. Go back to your seat before you embarrass yourself further."

She quickly ran to her seat, ignoring the blatant laughs and finger-pointing.

"Alright, class, settle down. None of you have any room to laugh, since it seems the class percentage is a fifty-four and it's only that high because of Kiriyuu's score. So I suggest you all read through Chapter seven tonight before the exam. That includes you, Cross. Just because you're a transfer student that doesn't mean I'm going to cut you any slack."

A chorus of "Yes, sensei." filled room as everyone turned to the chapter. Yuuki let out a groan, burying her head in the textbook. _At this rate I'll fail the class… along with everyone else._

The bell chimed a few minutes later, signaling the end of class. Students rushed to pick up their bags before heading out of the classroom. Just as the two 'rebellious' teens crossed the threshold of the classroom a man's voice rang out, "Aren't you forgetting something, Cross, Kiriyuu?"

Yuuki quickly turned around, bowing. "S-sorry, sensei! I totally forgot!"

Zero merely huffed, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Whatever. This better be quick, _sensei_."

The teacher sighed, motioning for the students to step closer. He shut the door behind them. "Cross, this is more to you, anyway, but I believe you should invest in a tutor. I can tell from your vacant stares that math is probably your worst subject, correct?"

The brunette nodded dully. _Was it that obvious?_

"Well, I do feel bad for a student who transferred in the middle of a quarter, so I had a thought. Kiriyuu, in return for all the times you've fallen asleep in class, blatantly ignored me, and refused to do work for no apparent reason, you will be tutoring Cross for the duration of the semester. If he scores above an eighty percent average for this semester you will not have to tutor him next semester. And…" He began after he saw the glare the boy was giving him, "You will be allowed to leave ten minutes early from class every day for the second semester."

"…Fine. You better pass, midget." He said, pushing open the classroom door before stalking away.

* * *

The rest of the day went by in a blur. Yuuki found herself dozing off in every class (she had always been a night owl at heart), but could still grasp the learning material fairly well. She excelled in physical education, however, and was delighted that the Academy's sports program was lax in comparison to her old school.

The instructor merely wished for the students to pick a sport or activity to fill the gap of fifty-five minutes. The girl, who adored animals, dashed to the equestrian stables with glee. _Finally, something I can finally be good at!_

Yuuki came to a startling halt and nearly fell down in despair. Despite her sprint, there seemed to be no horses readily available. Everyone had already gotten on their respective horse and rode off into the three acre field that the Academy maintained specifically for equestrian training. Just as she nearly gave up hope, the brunette heard a loud neigh from one of the stalls in the back.

Hope renewed, she clambered over to the lone horse and grinned widely at the sight before swinging open the stall door. On the top of the door, written in ink was 'White Lily,' as well as a few other words that seemed to have faded with age. The only word that seemed to be readable was 'danger.' She scoffed. The horse looked harmless, almost angelic in nature, its coat a pure white with large, almond eyes. _Obviously someone put that sign up as a prank—that's why the letters were faded away. _

_If only…_

Still very much excited, the cinnamon-eyed girl picked up the saddle hanging on the stall door, approaching the 'gentle' beast. White Lily had been busy munching on a bale of hay and had been distracted enough to not even notice the girl's presence, but at the sound of her feet White Lily's head flicked towards the stranger in a millisecond. Half-annoyed at being interrupted during her meal and half-annoyed in general (the horse had a temper that rivaled Zero's, after all), she neighed angrily, raising her forelegs to hopefully scare off the intruder.

"Ah, wait! I just want to ride—" She started, still approaching the rearing beast. The horse stamped her hooves against the ground, neighing increasing in pitch and intensity. The brunette fell backwards in fear, all thoughts of riding the horse diminishing to just wanting to get out of the stall alive.

White Lily pawed at the floor, head down as if she were to charge the brunette at any moment. Shutting her eyes, Yuuki curled up into a ball on the floor, hoping to curb the blunt of the attack.

Suddenly, a pair of arms encircled her from behind, holstering her over his shoulders. He calmly walked out of the stall, depositing the frightened girl onto the ground before turning his attention to the angry horse.

Opening her eyes, she saw a familiar head of silver hair and cried out, "Zero, wait, that horse is dangerous!"

He ignored her pleas, approaching White Lily with his hands outstretched. The horse neighed softly at his presence, pressing her nuzzle against his open hand before licking it. "There, there…" He murmured, stroking the horse's mane gently.

Yuuki stared dumbfounded at the scene. "How…?"

He turned to her, clicking his tongue in annoyance. "Lily's… different from the other horses. Didn't anyone tell you not to ride her?"

She shook her head vehemently. "No, I walked in late. Everyone was already in the pasture before I got here. But, Zero, why are _you _here—"

"It's nothing." He replied, picking up a brush from the corner of the stall. He then proceeded to brush the horse, a hint of a smile on his face.

Yuuki rolled her eyes. _So you skipped class… figures. _

She turned away, crossing her arms over her chest. "You should go back to class. Anyway, I have to go find some other activity to do now for P.E." She said, giving the boy a curt wave.

His eyes flickered to hers for a brief second in affirmation before he continued to brush White Lily. The horse watched as the clumsy girl ran from the stables with slight interest. She neighed softly, tossing her head upwards in a sort of pseudo-nod.

Zero groaned. "Don't look at me like that, Lily. He's just a pest."

The animal gave what could only be described as a glare, turning to munch on his silver hair.

"Could you stop eating my hair? It's not hay, you know."

White Lily snorted at the comment.

* * *

Picking up her books, the brunette stretched out her arms, sighing in relief. A whole day had gone by with little incident (although, it seemed if anything ever happened Zero was somehow inexplicably involved) and she was ready to go back to her dorm and sleep. She exited the classroom and began to walk down the nearly empty hallways towards the Moon Dorms.

"Yuuki-kun! It's great to see you!" A cheerful voice said.

The cinnamon-eyed girl turned around to see the Moon Dorm president running towards her, dragging a sleepy looking, red-haired boy behind him.

"Hello, Takuma. How are you?" She bowed.

"I'm doing great! How's rooming with Kiriyuu-kun going?"

She gave a shaky smile. "Uh, better than I thought it would, in all honesty. He's definitely antisocial, but he's not a bad person."

He laughed, patting the girl on the back. "That's good to hear! Shiki," he pointed to the boy at his side, "is my roommate. He's a bit quiet too, but a good guy deep down."

"…What do you mean 'deep down'?" The cobalt-eyed teen questioned, still looking quite apathetic in his demeanor.

"Ahahaha, it's just that at first impression, you seem kind of… antisocial. Like Kiriyuu. You don't really talk much—not that it's a bad thing or anything—and are generally uninterested in meeting new people or making friends. So, to strangers, you may appear a bit rude or callous sometimes."

The boy did not respond for a while, laying his head against the dorm leader's shoulder. It almost appeared that he was digesting the information, that is, until minutes passed in silence.

"Ah, Shiki?" Takuma questioned, shaking the crimson-haired teen gently. It appeared that the youth had fallen asleep standing up, using the blonde's shoulder as a pillow.

He sighed, scooping up the sleeping boy. "Sorry, Yuuki-kun, he can be quite a handful at times. This normally happens at least twice a week."

"No, I understand completely, Takuma. I'll see you guys around." She waved at their departing figures before walking down the hallway.

* * *

When she entered her room it was empty. Her roommate's bag and books were on his bed, but the moody teenager was nowhere to be seen.

"Hmm… I wonder where he could be." She said aloud, plopping down on her bed. Perhaps he was on prefect duty. Yuuki eyed her own books wearily. How would they ever get any tutoring done if he had prefect duties?

She buried her head in her pillow, groaning. As long as they worked out a schedule they would be fine. The only problem was getting the silverette to drop such information. _Well, _she mused, _at least he will have to come back at some point tonight_.

Yuuki picked up her spiral notebook, grabbing a pencil from her bag. She would work on her homework from other subjects and stay up until Zero returned. Nodding again, she brought her gaze to the textbook, determination apparent in her hazel eyes.

* * *

The door creaked lightly as the silverette opened the door, unsurprised to find it unlocked. He really needed to tell his stupid roommate to lock the door—just because they lived inside the Academy it didn't mean they were safe from vandals or childish pranks.

He passed by the red clock on the floor and reluctantly scooped it up, placing it back on his bed-side table. Apparently he hadn't broken it, as the numbers displayed the time of 2:23AM.

Only bothering to remove his coat, he turned his gaze to his roommate. Books were scattered across his bed, a handful of papers on the wooden floor. Soft breaths were escaping the brunette in his sleep, fingers still clutching onto a Geometry textbook.

Sighing, he took the textbook from Yuuki's hands, placing it onto the table. Zero walked towards the closet, pulling out a soft grey blanket before draping it over the teen's shoulders. The boy mumbled, but otherwise remained asleep, snugging further into the blanket.

The amethyst-eyed man groaned at his own behavior, returning to his own bed. _Stop it. Don't get attached. You'll only hurt him later… when you finally fall into depravity._

_But, _he mused, almost laughing bitterly at the irony of it all, _how horrible is it to possibly find a friend at the end of your life?_

The beast inside him rumbled in agreement. _Quite horrible indeed…_

* * *

A/N: Hope that was a decent chap! Funny real life story time, lol: my Geometry teacher was _literally _insane. I learned nothing at all. He kind of handed you the textbook and was like "If you're intelligent you'll understand this stuff easily." Needless to say, I somehow passed with a low B, but it was probably the worst teacher I've ever had. I mean, he was completely weird. He pulled out a chicken wing from his pocket—his pocket, for crying out loud—and proceeded to eat it while teaching the class. I was, unfortunately, sitting in the front of the class.

…It was actually mind-scarring.

Anyway, now that my mini-tangent is over, please let me know if you enjoyed this chap! Thanks X1000!

-Isis


	3. Chapter 3- Revelations

Chapter 3- Revelations

A/N: Hey, I hope you guys enjoy this chap :3 I'm starting to like Zeki as much as Yuume now! And, as usual, if you enjoyed the chap please leave a review! They give me warm fuzzies ^^

Disclaimer: If it were me, VK would have been either 100x more comedic or 100x more tragic (as I can only write those two extremes).

* * *

Yuuki sighed, propping her head up with her hand. She bit on the end of the eraser in silent contemplation, eyes turning to the clock.

_Tick. Tick. Tick._

She slammed the book closed and dropped her head to the desk with a groan.

"...Why is math so difficult?" She whined, running her fingers through her hair.

The girl had more than enough trouble pin-pointing the whereabouts of her silver-haired roommate thanks to his flighty nature and blatant I-don't-care attitude. He had finally agreed to tutor her today (well, tonight would be more precise) after his patrol duties. Luckily, the library was open fairly late and after striking up a friendship with the librarian, she had been allotted keys to the front door. The library was also usually empty, leaving it the perfect place for the two to study without worrying about interruptions. Now she was just waiting for the moody teenager to show up, half-hoping he hadn't forgotten and half-hoping he wouldn't show up so she wouldn't have to torture herself further.

The sound of shuffling feet around her desk caused the brunette to lift her head up in excitement. She couldn't conceal the flash of disappointment when she realized who was standing in front of her.

"Aww, Yuuki-kun, sad I'm not Kiriyuu?"

She shook her head vehemently, a light blush dusting her face. "N-no! I just need him to come here so we can start studying! I'm genuinely happy to see you, Takuma-kun and..." she paused, trying to remember the sleepy red-head's name, "Shiki-san."

The cobalt-eyes boy gave a surprising nod, once again resting his head against the blonde as if he was a portable pillow.

"So, what are you two doing here?" Yuuki questioned, watching as Takuma took a seat across from her, motioning for Shiki to sit down as well. The lethargic teen slowly sat down, resting his head against the wooden table.

"I was looking in the manga section, of course!" He said cheerily, flashing a bright smile.

"You read manga?" The brunette questioned, honestly surprised. From his handsome face to outgoing personality, she couldn't imagine the emerald-eyed man to read, well, anything, not to mention something as borderline nerdy as manga. _I guess the whole don't judge a book by its cover thing applies here..._

He nodded, dropping his large stack of manga onto the table. "Yep! It's really fun and sometimes I read them with Shiki! Well, more like I read them out loud and Shiki falls asleep..." He trailed off, eyes cast to the burgundy-haired teen. Sure enough, the boy had fallen asleep. The girl had a sneaking suspicion that the blue-eyed boy was a narcoleptic, but refrained from asking Takuma.

"Oh, I almost forgot! Tomorrow's my birthday and I'm having a party in the main hall of the Moon Dorms! I don't get to talk to you or Kiriyuu-kun much because I'm an upperclassman, but I'd love if you could make it!"

The girl stared incredulously. "Y-You'd invite Zero?" It wasn't like he was very popular in the Moon Dorms (or anywhere, for that matter).

Takuma nodded eagerly. "Of course! I think Kiriyuu-kun is a nice guy, deep, deep down. I mean one time when I locked myself out of my dorm room and Shiki was sound asleep inside he opened the door for me. Although, he might have just enjoyed kicking the door down!"

The Moon Dorm president chuckled, pushing out his chair and grabbing his friend's arm. "Anyway, it's tomorrow at seven! You can meet more of the Moon Dorm residents then. I promise it'll be fun!" He waved as he walked away, this time carrying the crimson-haired boy on his back.

Shiki was jostled awake, but allowed himself to be carried by the blonde. The teen turned back to look at the cinnamon-eyed girl and spoke softly, Bye, Cross-san."

"Ah, bye Shiki!" She called out, eyes wide in disbelief. _So, he really isn't that bad of a guy... it would probably be nice to have a conversation with him sometime... if he didn't fall asleep._

Just as the pair disappeared around the corner a flash of silver could be seen stalking through the bookshelves. His lips were twisted into a tight frown, amethyst eyes hard and cold. He looked to be in a worse mood than usual and the brunette could only hope it wasn't because of her.

"Ah, Zero! I'm glad you showed up! I was getting worried!" She jeered lightly, motioning for the youth to take a seat opposite of her.

The silverette did not respond, but sat down anyway. With little warning, he swiped the book from her hand, scanning the pages. Yuuki pouted, crossing her arms.

"If you wanted to see the textbook you could have just asked!"

Zero remained silent, taking her pencil (from her hands yet again— although he flinched slightly as his fingers brushed against her hand to pull the pencil away) and marked all the odd numbered questions on the page.

"Try these first. Only ask for help if you have no idea." He stated brusquely, looking as if he wanted to be anywhere but with her.

The girl kept her head low, unable to look into his eyes in fear of what would be in them. _I thought we were becoming friends... what did I do to make him so mad?  
_  
Obediently, she did the first set of problems, curling her fingers in her hair as she worked. When she brushed her hair behind her ear she unconsciously exposed the column of her neck. Zero sucked in a breath, turning away.

Suddenly, he pushed out the chair, grimacing. He spoke through shallow breaths, fringes covering his eyes, "I...I'll be r-right back."

The boy darted through the shelves, stumbling towards the back of the library until he came across a dead-end, where there was a corner obscured by a large bookcase. He slumped to the floor, fishing out a metal tin and swallowing four tablets. His eyes, however, did not return to their natural amethyst hue. _Stupid kid... why does he have to smell so good?_

Yuuki sat conflicted, unsure as to whether follow the silverette or wait for him to return. Deciding on the former, she dropped her pencil and took off, searching through the shelves for the flighty teen.

She eventually found him huddled in the corner, clutching his shoulders. His head was bowed to where she couldn't see his eyes.

"Zero?" She called out hesitantly, taking a step forward.

"Stay back!" He growled.

The girl froze, concern etched on her cherubic features. "Are you alright? Should I get the Chairman?" She knew he had witnessed the death of his parents; perhaps he was reliving those horrible nightmares.

He spoke in a low baritone, voice cold and devoid of kindness, "Just stay out of it! God, can't you just mind your own goddamn business!?" _The only way I can keep him safe is by pushing him away…_

The girl looked close to tears, chocolate orbs shimmering. She turned away, clenching her fists. Zero was relieved, expecting for his roommate to storm off and never want to see him again.

What followed next, however, was beyond anything the boy could ever predict. Yuuki brought herself to the floor, grasping the shoulders of her roommate and yelled roughly at his face, "You sound just like my brother! Always pushing me away, never letting anyone in… couldn't you just let someone care about you for a change?"

Tipping his head upwards, he sat frozen in shock, eyes once again their normal lilac hue. The girl continued her rant, angry tears streaming down her face, "We're friends, aren't we? If something's bothering you just tell me! You don't have to suffer alone!"

He dropped his gaze, guilt swimming in his mind. Yuuki had been nothing but kind to him, and here he was, being a colossal jerk. But, at the same time, the boy didn't deserve to be dragged down with him when he finally fell to a Level-E. Yuuki was too kind for that…

"…I am not someone you should become friends with. I will only hurt you in the end." He replied honestly, gently pushing the girl off of him. Both stood up wordlessly. Zero brushedpast the girl, almost reaching out to grasp her shoulder, but instead let his hand fall to the side.

"Zero, I need to tell you something important." Yuuki said, not turning around to face the silver-haired youth.

He stilled, responding quietly, "What?"

"I know about your past. The Chairman told me you saw your parents murdered right in front of your eyes."

He bit his tongue in anger, clenching his fists. And here he thought Yuuki had been nice because it was in his nature. That he had wanted to be his friend just for the sake of being friends. He didn't need another person being kind to him out of pity.

"So you've been my 'friend' out of pity? Thanks, but I'd prefer to have none than one who only looks down on me." He stalked away, ignoring the brunette's cries to stop.

"Zero! W-wait!" She called out, reaching to grab his shoulder. He brushed her hand away, turning back to glare at the petite woman.

"I said I don't need your pity. Just leave me alone."

"I'm not here to pity you. I like you for _who _you are, and that has _nothing _to do with your past. You're kind and smart and always look out for me, even though you don't know me very well. You like animals and take your duties as prefect very seriously. Despite everything that has happened to you… you still remain kind and gentle, which is really admirable." She finished, blushing slightly. _Wow, that almost sounded like a confession._

The silverette sighed, draping an arm on top of the much shorter brunette's head. She pouted, pushing his arm away as a light chuckle escaped his lips.

"Like I said before… you say the strangest things." He replied, walking through the maze of bookshelves towards where they had left their belongings. _And for that, I'm glad._

"Well? Do you want to pass Geometry or not?" He questioned, motioning towards the empty desk.

Yuuki grinned widely, rushing towards where the silverette was sitting. Somehow, she felt that she understood the stoic teen just a little bit better.

* * *

The girl awoke the next morning happily, stretching out her arms and yawning. The pair had stayed in the library long past its closing time and had promptly crawled to their beds afterwards. Now a Saturday, both could sleep in for as long as they wished.

Turning to her right, she saw that the lilac-eyed man was still asleep, a head of silver locks peeking from under the covers. It seemed like a good time to take a shower without worry so she quickly slipped off the blankets and gathered her clothing.

Closing the door behind her she got into the shower, letting the steamy water soothe her aching muscles. She sighed happily, completely unaware of what was happening just a room away.

Zero woke up not long after, falling to the floor in a tangled heap of blankets. He groaned slightly from the impact of his head hitting the floor, but managed to worm his way out of the cocoon of covers easily. A light humming could be heard coming from the bathroom, but no sign of running water like he had heard moments before. Assuming that the shower was free, the silverette picked up his clothes.

He strolled towards the door, still unsurprised to find the door unlocked. It wasn't in the brunette's nature to think anyone but kind natured and of good will. He sighed. Someday, that kid was going to get himself hurt simply because he was too nice.

"Yuuki? I'm coming in." He said, knocking on the door before opening it. A loud screech was heard, followed by a flurry of bath products. A soap dish collided roughly with his forehead before he got the message, quickly leaving the small bathroom and closing the door.

He had only seen the brunette for a millisecond, but from the towels he though he saw… Zero shook his head. Obviously he was still too tired to function properly, thinking that Yuuki was actually a girl.

_That's ridiculous. Why would anyone do something as stupid as infiltrating an all males Academy? _Although, the fact that he had thrown all manner of bath products at the silverette upon his entry wasn't exactly helping his cause.

A few minutes later Yuuki emerged, face a bright pink. She looked down guiltily, fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. "S-sorry, Zero. You just surprised me, that's all."

"It's fine." He replied, walking to the adjoining bathroom and shutting the door.

Yuuki sighed in relief, falling back onto her bed. She had been sure that her secret had been found out. But, she thought, it seemed that she wasn't the only one keeping a secret.

* * *

"Come on, Zero! Let's go to the town square to see if we can find a present for Takuma-kun there!" The brunette dragged the stoic teenager along, smiling happily as she traversed the collection of shops.

Somehow, the boy had been roped into going to Takuma's party (something about showing he wasn't antisocial—not that he cared what other's thought of him) and as such, was out with Yuuki in an attempt to find the cheerful blonde a gift.

"Why am I with you again?" He questioned irritably, uncomfortable in large crowds.

Yuuki stuck out her tongue. "I need help finding a gift for him! How am I supposed to know what a guy wants—I mean, most of my friends are female so I've never really shopped for a male friend before." She recovered, nearly beating herself for her own stupidity. _I pretty much told him I'm not a guy! Why am I such an idiot sometimes?_

The amethyst-eyed man merely gave a questioning look but continued onwards, heading towards a bookstore. "You said he liked manga, right? Why don't we just get him a few volumes?"

The girl nodded eagerly. "That's a great idea, Zero! I'll look in the bookstore while you run the errands the Chairman wanted you to do. We can meet up at the fountain a few blocks over once we're done!"

Zero nodded, heading in the opposite direction as the girl stepped into the bookstore, the bell chiming lightly at her arrival. The store keeper greeted her warmly as she scanned the shelves.

Finally finding the manga section in the back, she picked up a few action and adventure manga before hesitantly swiping a romance one. Surely the blonde would find at least one of the volumes acceptable.

After paying Yuuki ran out of the store, finding the town square to be nearly empty. The sun was beginning to set as she hurriedly ran towards the fountain. Turning a sharp corner, she found her arm cut by a hanging pipe, wincing.

Blood oozed from the wound, causing her to stop inspect the cut worriedly. It wasn't too deep, but she felt that it would probably need bandaging. Getting to her feet (and keeping the bag of manga in her opposite hand), the brunette continued towards the agreed meeting place.

Suddenly, from one of the roofs a figure dropped down, grinning widely. The jump was at least twenty feet, but the person seemed unharmed, stalking silently towards the injured girl. As the woman got closer she could see that her eyes were crimson, with a hint of fangs gleaming from under her lips.

"So… thirsty." It moaned, advancing further towards the shaken girl. _V-vampire? T-that's impossible. They can't—don't exist!_

The beast turned its head to the right, barley missing a bullet as it rolled away. Getting to its feet it looked in the opposite direction of the girl, spotting a certain silver-haired youth.

"Com…rade?" It gurgled out, giving a large grin.

"Shut up!" Zero roared, pulling the trigger again. This time the bullet found its mark, lodging itself into the vampire's skull. It slowly disintegrated into dust, leaving the girl to collapse onto the ground in shock.

"W-was that really a vampire, Zero?" She breathed, shakily rising to her feet.

"We need to talk to the Chairman… and to get that wound bandaged. Your blood will attract more of them." He replied gruffly, walking further ahead.

He kept his head low, hiding his now crimson eyes. He balled his fists, clenching his jaw tightly. Soon it would be impossible to hide the truth from the brunette. But, for now, he wanted Yuuki to continue to look at him with gentle eyes. He wasn't ready to admit to the boy that he was just as much of a monster as that _thing _he reduced to ash.

* * *

A/N: Dun, dun, dun! Yuuki finally knows vampires exist! But, when will they discover each other's secrets? And is there hope for our dear Zero? Hehehe, I guess you guys will find out eventually XD

I'll see you guys in Chapter 4! Thanks again for all the support!

-Isis


	4. Chapter 4- Telephone

Chapter 4- Telephone  
A/N: Sorry for the wait guys ^^' I got caught up w/ some other VK fanfics (I.e., 'Of Philosophers and Fools' and 'One Wish') and was unsure on how I wanted this chap to go down. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy it! Once again, I apologize for the wait.

Disclaimer: (which I know you don't technically need, but I do it out of habit anyway) VK belongs to Matsuri Hino.

* * *

The Chairman shuffled around the small clinic in his trademark green shawl, fussing wildly over the brunette.

"I can't believe one of my precious students got hurt! Oh, I'm a terrible principal; I should turn in a letter of resignation now, before others are injured—"

"N-no, you don't need to go that far, Chairman. It's just a little scratch..." Yuuki said, giving a shaky grin.

"Ah, you are too kind, Yuuki-kun! You're an angel, an absolute angel! Please tell me if you need anything, alright?" He then proceeded to throw his arms around the petite woman, big alligator years streaming down his face.

"I-I'm fine, really! Just p-please let go, you're squishing me!" She pleaded, pushing against the flaxen-haired man in a vain attempt to rid herself of his 'death hug.'

He reluctantly let go, amber eyes trained to the single nurse in the room. "Ah, miss, do you mind if I speak with Yuuki-kun privately, now that his wound is bandaged? You may leave early for the day, if you like."

The nurse nodded in agreement, quickly making an exit as the eccentric man pulled out a wooden stool to sit on. He placed it in front of the cinnamon-eyed girl who was resting comfortably on the edge of one of the nurse's cots.

"Now, Zero told me about what happened earlier. About the attack. I have only one question for you," He started, a grim look on his face.

"…What?" She said hesitantly, fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. _Please don't make me leave the Academy, please don't make me leave the—_

"How would you like to become a prefect?" Kaien gave a wide grin, chuckling at the girl's reaction. She stared incredulously at the man, nearly falling over in surprise.

"That's it? You're not going to make me leave or—"

"Heavens no! I've been looking for someone to guard the school with Zero. You see, Cross Academy encroaches on a number of vampire territories. As such, there have been a few… rogue vampire sightings nearby, making me worried for the students. Zero does his best to guard the grounds, but he's only one person. And of course I couldn't just let anyone help guard the school; they would need to have prior knowledge of vampires. That's why I need you, Yuuki-kun, to help me protect the school."

The girl absorbed the information, mind swimming as she processed the man's words. Vampires. It still seemed so… surreal. She had nearly been a snack for one, but it still seemed lucid. Dreamlike. Slowly, she pieced her thoughts together, coming to a decision.

"I'll help you and Zero protect the Academy."

The Chairman swung around gleefully, running to the oak door. "Alright, stay right there! You'll need a weapon, of course, and I'll get you an armband so others will know that you're a prefect as well!"

The door closed loudly behind him as the girl let out a bemused sigh. _That's strange… It's like he's wanted me to be a prefect all this time._

* * *

"How is Yuuki?" A smooth voice questioned on the other end of the phone.

"She's fine! I've been making sure her stay here is quite comfortable!" The Chairman assured.

"Have you given her Artemis yet?"

"Not yet. I'll give it to her soon."

There was a long pause before the man spoke again. "Good. Make sure she's safe."

"No worries, Kaname-kun! I'm sure everything will fall into place!"

* * *

"Yuuki-kun, I'm back!" The Chairman called, pushing open the door. He was met with silence, realizing immediately that the girl was nowhere to be found.

"She left without telling me?" He brought a finger to his chin thoughtfully, strolling towards the empty cot. There was a little note on the stool, which he picked up and read aloud.

"Sorry, Chairman, but Takuma-senpai's birthday party is starting soon and I don't want to miss it. I'll come to your office tomorrow morning to pick up what I need for my prefect duties. Once again, I apologize for the inconvenience. Sincerely, Yuuki."

The note had a little doodle of a cat next to her name and if he squinted, he could see that when she had signed her name, she had accidentally put Kuran instead of Cross and had marked it out later. Kaien let out a sigh. He was honestly surprised she had been able to keep up the charade for so long. It was really just a stroke of good luck.

"Kaname-kun, I trust you, but what exactly do you think Yuuki will gain from learning about vampires…? He mumbled to himself, leaving the clinic with more than one troubling thought.

* * *

The brunette was ushered into the main hall of the old Moon Dorms by an excited blonde and a mellow orange-haired man. She looked back enviously at the silver-haired teen who strolled casually behind her, his glare keeping most of the other students away from him.

"Aidou-senpai, Kain-senpai, w-what's going on?"

The blonde boy brought a hand to her shoulder, grinning widely. "Well, we're escorting you to the party, of course!

"Takuma wanted us to make sure you made it here alright, since this part of the Moon Dorms hasn't been fully refurbished yet. The party is upstairs, which has already gone through remodeling. The downstairs, however, still poses a problem, with broken railings and holes in the floor." Kain explained, sighing at his cousin's eccentricities. It was as if the youth had never been to a party before.

The two cousins lead the pair up the spiral staircase, Aidou chatting animatedly with Yuuki. She nodded when appropriate, but felt more like she was being talked at, unable to say relatively anything to the hyperactive blonde. Kain noticed her discomfort and whispered to her, "Sorry about Hanabusa. He thinks that everything he says is beyond interesting."

They finally arrived at the double doors to the brunette's relief. Zero reluctantly followed the three into the room, holding the boxed gift in his hands awkwardly. He had rarely spoken to Takuma (although, out of everyone in the Moon Dorm, not counting Yuuki, Takuma was the only other person he spoke to at all) and he could already feel the curious stares of the other party guests.

There were about fifteen people in total, with the majority of them coming from the Moon Dormitories. Takuma waved wildly at the pair, running towards them with glee. Shiki followed behind mechanically, much like a very slow shadow.

"I'm so glad you guys could make it! I hope I didn't inconvenience you too much."

Yuuki shook her head, but inwardly cringed. _No. I wasn't almost eaten by a vampire or anything looking for your gift._

"N-not at all! Right, Zero?" She elbowed him in the gut, keeping her gaze towards the emerald-eyed teen.

"Yah, whatever…" Zero finally responded, giving the girl a sharp glare before walking towards the table where the gifts were stacked. He placed the green box on the table before stalking towards the corner of the room, sitting in one of the metal chairs that ran against the wall. He continued to frown as Takuma chatted animatedly with Yuuki. Something the boy said made the brunette blush, much to the silverette's chagrin.

He turned his eyes away from the pair, silently brooding. He didn't know why he was so upset with his roommate talking to the cheerful blonde. But, for some reason, he felt a certain animosity rising inside his chest. He wanted to selfishly bring the brunette towards him, or, better yet, make him leave the party all together. The temperature in the room seemed to drop from Zero's glare, yet a certain tousled-haired blonde didn't notice in the slightest. He approached the boy with a feline grin, cerulean eyes narrowed slightly.

"So, Kiriyuu, how's life with a roommate?"

"…Fine." He responded, ready to get up and leave.

Aidou placed a hand on his shoulder, shaking his head. "It's rude to just walk away when someone's having a conversation with you. Actually, I've been meaning to ask this for a while, and I was going to be nice about it, but I've changed my mind. Tell me, why do you act like everything is entitled to you? What makes you so high and mighty? Because, your attitude is really starting to piss me off!"

In seconds the blonde was flipped onto his back, Zero glaring at him from above. "First, don't fucking touch me. Second, it's none of your goddamn business. And, if you try something like this again, I won't hesitate to break your arm." He growled.

With that, the silverette walked away, locking eyes with Yuuki for a brief second before storming out of the room.

Aidou stayed frozen on the ground, cerulean eyes wide with shock. Akatsuki went to give the man a hand, but the blonde swatted it away, turning towards Takuma. "I told you it was a bad idea to invite Kiriyuu. There's something off with him." _And I thought I saw fangs of all things! _

The emerald-eyed man shook his head. "But, I bet you started it, didn't you Aidou? You approached him, after all. You should be nicer next time." He chastised.

The blonde glared, picking himself off the floor. "Whatever. I'm leaving too. Come on, Akatsuki."

The amber-eyed man gave an apologetic glance towards Takuma before reluctantly following his cousin out of the room.

Takuma let out a sigh, turning back to the cinnamon-eyed girl. "Sorry, Yuuki-kun. I really wanted for you guys to have a fun time at my party, but Kiriyuu-kun already left…"

"I-it's fine, Takuma-senpai. I mean, at least Zero showed up, right? He helped me pick out your gift as well."

This brightened the boy's mood instantly. "Really? And here I thought Kiriyuu-kun hated me! Tell him I said thanks!"

Suddenly, Shiki pulled on the end of the blonde's shirt, a usual apathetic look on his face. "I'm hungry…" He mumbled, cobalt eyes turned towards the large cake.

"Oh, then let's eat!" He cheered, grabbing his and Yuuki's arm. He led them to the cake, calling everyone over.

"I want to first thank everyone for showing up to my party! It means a lot! Now, who wants a slice of the cake?"

He turned to Yuuki first, giving her two slices of cake. "Can you take one to Kiriyuu-kun? I'm sure he'd want a slice."

She nodded, waving goodbye to both Shiki and Takuma. Once again, Shiki surprised her, giving what could only be considered a very lazy half-wave.

* * *

"Zero?" She questioned, opening the door wider. The boy's jacket was on the bed, but he was nowhere to be seen. She gave a heavy sigh, staring at the two slices of cake. She was tempted to eat both of them, but reluctantly left the second slice on the silverette's bedside table.

Just as she finished her cake, she dropped her fork onto the floor. When she bent down to pick it up she noticed a white tablet under her roommate's bed. Yuuki looked at it curiously before throwing it into the trashcan. _Medicine? I wonder what it's for… well, I might as well search for Zero. I hope he's alright._

* * *

Inside the stables, Zero rested against the bed of hay. His breaths were coming out in shallow gasps as he fished for the tablet in his pocket. Feeling none, he let out a growl, frightening the other horses in the stable. White Lily snorted lightly, munching on his hair.

"Not now, Lily." He warned, feeling his chest tighten. He was sure that if he looked into a mirror it would show crimson instead of his usual lilac hue. His fingers clenched around a few straws of hay as a familiar scent drifted into the air.

"Damnit…" He cursed, the sound of footsteps growing louder.

"Zero? Are you here?" Yuuki called, stepping over the threshold of the stables.

* * *

A/N: Ooh, looks like the Chairman's known all along XD I wonder what Kaname has to do with everything… I guess you guys will find out later :P and, yes, this story actually has a plot. It's not all fluff and angst, surprisingly enough. Sorry for the lack of action/comedy in this chap; the next will definitely be more interesting!

-Isis (P.S. thanks again for anyone who has dropped a review; it really makes my day and as cliché as it sounds, I wouldn't be nearly as motivated to update if it wasn't for you guys. So, thanks X1000)


	5. Chapter 5- Blood Moon

A/N: Ack! So sorry for the wait (and the crappy title) guys T-T Senior year's kind of crazy and as much as I want to update every week, my schoolwork always gets in the way (i.e., AP studio art and design is going to kill me). Seriously, I typed this up while I was waiting for my watercolor to dry :P

Disclaimer: VK is owned by Matsuri Hino, not me.

* * *

Chapter 5- Blood Moon

"Zero?" She called out again.

Yuuki heard the slight intake of breath and the sound of rustling hay, immediately feeling relieved. _Good, he's here._

Before she could go any further a blur of white was at her side. The animal neighed loudly, rearing up on its forelegs angrily.

"W-white Lily?! Calm down, please! I need to speak to Zero!" She tried vainly to soothe the animal, hesitantly reaching out towards the horse.

It neighed again, nearly biting the brunette's hand in a blind rage.

"Alright, I'm leaving. Zero, I'll be waiting in the dorm so come back soon, okay?" She yelled, nearly sprinting out of the stables.

Zero sighed in relief, eyes once again a calming amethyst. "Thank you, Lily..."

The horse shook its head up and down, neighing softly.

* * *

She had tried to stay up and wait for him, honestly. The girl had even thought of the ingenious (well— she thought it was a good idea, anyway) idea of sitting on Zero's bed. But, the night was growing dark and the more and more she waited the more she felt he wouldn't show.

Eventually, despite her best efforts, her eyes fluttered closed. In minutes she was asleep, short brown locks in disarray against the soft sheets. Soft snores escaped her lips as the silver-haired prefect walked in, surprise evident in his handsome features.

His first instinct was to wake her, but when he gently touched her shoulder she moved towards his touch, mumbling a few broken words, "Onii-sama... don't go."

Her hair had parted, revealing the smooth column of her neck. He opened his mouth, already feeling his fangs lengthening. With much effort, the silverette took in a shaky breath before bringing his arms around her. He placed the sleeping girl under the covers of his bed before bolting out of the room. Her eyes fluttered open just as the door closed.

"Zero?"

* * *

It was suffocating. Everything was suffocating. Each gasp came out harder than the last until the teen found himself suddenly weakened, crumbling to the wooden floor with a thud. He pulled at his tie, hoping that it would somehow ease the heaviness in his chest.

"Damnit..." He growled again, feeling the tattoo on his neck begin to ache. It glowed a dark crimson in the night, nearly burning his skin as it tried futilely to chain the beast that roared inside of him. His body convulsed sporadically as he dug his fingers into the floor. The digits left long, vertical marks in the wood.

It was too late, he had to do it now, before he turned into a monster. Already, he could feel his conscience slipping from the pain of bloodlust. Eyes a dark crimson, he brought the gun to his temple, feeling the dull ache of his fangs when he clenched his teeth together in a growl.

If he was going to die, it was going to be as a human.

"Zero?" A timid voice called down the staircase, eyes widening at the sight.

"What are you doing, stop!" She cried, running towards him before tackling the man. They ended up a tangled heap on the floor, sprawled out in the middle of the Moon Dorm corridor. Zero kept his head bowed as he reached vainly for the gun. Yuuki cradled the weapon to her chest, glaring at the teen.

"Yuuki... g-give me back the gun." He choked out, the scent of her blood nearly suffocating. It hung heavy in the air, a tantalizingly floral scent, reminding the silverette of a field of sunflowers.

"No! I'm not going to let you hurt yourself!"

"Please... before it's too late. Kill me, now." He finally looked up, revealing his true nature: that of a vampire. Yuuki gasped at the sight of fangs and crimson eyes but remained rooted in place.

_Zero is... a vampire? But he was nice and he never tried to hurt me...  
_  
"D-do you u-understand now? K-kill me b-before I hurt you." He pleaded through clenched teeth, already feeling his body curl towards the closest source of blood.

She shook her head, cinnamon eyes warm and full of resolve. "No. I won't. You'll just have to hurt me." There was no other option. Sweeping back her hair, she revealed the smooth expanse of her neck.

"S-stop..." He started, only to feel his body move towards her despite his protests. He gritted his teeth as Yuuki continued to smile gently.

Her heartbeat fluttered quickly at the feeling of his hands on her shoulders. Hot puffs of breath tickled her skin as he dipped his head lower.

"I'm sorry." He finally breathed before sinking his fangs into her flesh. She let out a sharp intake of breath at the pain but brought her hands up to encircle the man in an attempt to comfort him. _It's alright Zero. I don't hate you._

Everything made sense now, from his cold, outward demeanor to his random bouts of disappearance.

The vampire stilled immediately at the contact, fingers loosening slightly from her shoulders as he continued to drink, albeit more slowly. The dull ache that had seemingly plagued him his entire life had been quenched for a time, now but an ember of the agony it once had been.

Yuuki eventually felt the pain ebb away into that of a heavy sleepiness, a calm, almost euphoric experience where her eyes began to droop closed despite her protests. It felt like there was a gentle flame in her blood that brought a sudden, warm lethargy to her bones. It required all her effort to keep her arms around the teen's broad shoulders.

Zero noticed her embrace slack and immediately pulled away, blood coating his lips and chin. _My blood_, she thought, tiredly bringing a hand to her neck. She could feel the slick heat of the crimson trailing to her collarbone and she felt as if she should be alarmed but instead, relaxed in the man's arms. She was so sleepy...

The world grew fuzzy and dark, punctuated by the gentle flutter of her slowing heartbeat. The last thing she saw before she lost consciousness were the grief-stricken, amethyst eyes of her roommate. _That felt nothing like I imagined it would be..._ She thought, slowly drifting off to sleep.

* * *

Kaien Cross found himself startled awake by the sound of yelling, followed by heavy footsteps. Turning on the lamp at his side and reaching for his glasses, the chairman shuffled out of bed. _What could someone need at this hour?_

"Kaien! Help, please!" The familiar voice of his adopted son rang through the house. Sienna eyes widened in surprise.

"Zero?" He called out, opening the door.

In front of the doorway he saw the crumpled figure of the boy and an unconscious person in his arms. It took him moments to realize it was Yuuki. Blood had fallen on the collar of her shirt, mixing in with her messy locks and alabaster skin.

Wordlessly, the ex-vampire hunter grabbed the woman from Zero's arms, placing her gently on his bed. He shuffled into the adjoining bathroom, finding a first-aid kit before returning to the brunette.

He checked her pulse, relief washing over him. _Good. Her heart rate's steady. She's in no immediate danger._

"Zero, can you go wet some towels?"

The teen obeyed, mechanically walking towards the hallway closet to take out a few towels. Wetting them in the sink, he returned, regret apparent in his lilac orbs.

The headmaster took the towels, turning again towards the silent boy. "You can leave now, Zero. I'll make sure he's alright. Get some sleep. We'll discuss this tomorrow."

"B-but-"

"Go, Zero. Yuuki-kun will be fine." He said again softly.

Reluctantly, the silverette left the room, closing the door softly behind him. He leaned against it, eyes shut. He had hurt Yuuki... he had become the very monster he hated.

Clenching his fists, he bit his lip, eyes flashing crimson. There was still a hint of Yuuki's blood on his tongue; sweet and intoxicating. Inwardly, he cursed the beast inside of him who already hungered for more.

"What have I done?" He murmured, spirit broken. Running a hand through his hair, he started walking in the direction of the Moon Dorms.

_Nothing is the same anymore. And it can never return to how it was before. A monster cannot become human again..._

* * *

Yuuki awoke, shying away from the light that filtered in through the tall windows with a groan. Opening her cinnamon orbs, she realized that the room was definitely not her dorm. _Where am I? _For a moment she sat bewildered, shifting through her hazy memories for an answer. The sudden movement brought pain to her neck and as she reached to touch the band-aid a rush of memories assaulted her.

_Zero… he's a vampire. And last night…_

There was a light knock on her door as a familiar blonde-haired man entered, holding a plate of food. He smiled brightly, "It's good to see that you're awake, Yuuki-kun! I made you some breakfast. Zero's downstairs. You can come down whenever you're ready."

He handed her the plate of food before quickly leaving, giving the girl no time to ask him a question. Sullenly, she stabbed at her food with her chopsticks, chewing thoughtfully. _Eh, this tastes disgusting! What did he put in the rice?!_

Dropping the red chopsticks and pushing the plate away, she sighed. At least Zero is alright… The girl bit her lip, eyebrows furrowed in worry. _He probably hates himself right now. I don't understand much of this, but Zero shouldn't feel guilty! It's not his fault!_

Pulling the covers off of herself, she reached for the doorknob, fingers trembling. Shaking her head, she opened the door, heading towards the stairs.

"I don't know if you can continue to go here as a student, Zero. You may endanger other humans." Kaien's voice drifted through the living room as Yuuki stood at the top of the staircase.

"I know. I'll pack my bags."

_Zero can't leave! Not now! _

"W-wait!" She cried, running down the stairs. Both men turned to her as she spoke again, voice wavering. "P-please, don't make him go. I can help! H-he can still go to school. Don't punish him for s-something he can't control."

Kaien sighed. "I don't want to do this, Yuuki-kun, but—"

"No! There's got to be something we can do, right? I'll help in any way I can!"

"Yuuki…" Zero started, guilt apparent in his amethyst orbs. "It's better this way. If I go somewhere where I can't hurt anyone—where I can't hurt you—"

"I don't want you to leave!" She finally blurted out, a light blush dusting her cheeks. "You're my friend and roommate, Zero. I trust you."

Her words brought a smile on the Chairman's lips. "Well, there is something we can do…"

* * *

"Are you sure about this?" Yuuki questioned, turning towards the Chairman. He nodded, clasping the bracelet onto her wrist.

"Yes. If he gets out of control just bring the bracelet to the tattoo on his neck. Here, it will be easier to show than explain." He ushered the brunette towards the silver-haired teen.

Hesitantly, Yuuki brought her wrist to tattoo, shutting her eyes. There was a sound of a gasp and a thud as she opened her eyes in surprise. The man was sprawled out comically on the wooden floor, shadowy daggers keeping him in place.

"Are you alright, Zero?" She asked in concern, rushing to his side. He grunted in affirmation, remaining still until the vampire hunter spell wore off.

"Oh my, I almost forgot!" The Chairman cried, rushing out of the room. Both teens exchanged worried glances as he returned, holding a small black box.

"This is for you, Yuuki-kun. You'll need a vampire hunter weapon if you want to protect the school as a prefect. Hopefully Artemis takes to you."

The girl accepted the box, opening it to reveal a small cylindrical object. It fit snugly in her hand, not nearly as heavy as she thought it would be.

"Now, press the button on the side."

She obeyed, letting out a gasp of surprise as the object lengthened, turning into a long pole.

"It will spark when it comes into contact with a vampire. Just be careful and try not to hit Zero-kun, alright?" He teased, despite the harsh glare the boy gave him.

Yuuki nodded, giving a sympathetic glance towards the fuming teen.

"Tomorrow will be your first day on patrol, if you feel up for it. And I'll make sure Zero teaches you how to use the anti-vampire weapon."

* * *

A/N: Poor Yuuki, so much happened in a span of a night. She learned of vampires only to find out that her roommate was one as well... Anyway, hope you guys liked the chapter :3 Sorry again for the wait! Next chap we'll have Zero teaching Yuuki how to fight (lol, this should be funny) and perhaps a little development in the overall plot XD

Also, quick question guys: this has been bothering me for a while. Why can Zero still use his vampire-hunter weapon after he became a vampire? Shouldn't it like shock him or something? I don't recall it being explained in the manga, but I could have glanced over it. My best guess was that since he was born a vampire hunter it kind of canceled out the hunter magic. Or it could be just the bullets that are anti-vampiric, not the gun. I don't know.

Review?

-Isis


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